The Princess and the Pauper
by Lexi1989
Summary: Oneshot He was her guilty pleasure. She broke the rules because of him. She craved his touch even just for a while. But the thing is, they were worlds apart. And they both knew it.
**I've had this story on my hard drive for awhile now. Just finished polishing it. Enjoy!**

 **xoxo Lexi1989**

* * *

 **The Princess and the Pauper**

 **xOneShotx**

She slipped out of the busy crowd she had blended into and walked through the nondescript door to her right on the busy street just as she had many times before. However, this time, she came in with a sense of urgency and tension, unlike the preceding ones where she was always relaxed and all smiles. She removed the sunglasses from her face and took off the wide brimmed straw hat from her head. She shook out her auburn tresses from underneath the hat and turned to the surprised receptionist in the receiving area.

"Oh! Good morning Sakura Ojo-sama!" The young pink-haired lady stood abruptly and began bowing furiously.

"Hi Anna. I'm sorry for coming without any prior appointment." She motioned for the young lady to stop bowing.

"Since this is an unprecedented visit, I'm afraid the usual is not available today. He is with another client."

"Please pull him out Anna. I need him. I'll pay twice as much as the current client is paying him." Her tone was giving off a vibe to not be trifled with as she lay down her platinum credit card on Anna's desk.

"Right away, Sakura ojo-sama. Please follow me to the VIP room." She led the brunette to the room and left immediately to retrieve the requested person.

"Lady Koizumi will not be happy about this." The young pinkette muttered under her breath as she knocked on the other suite and braced herself for the onslaught of curses as she interrupted the ongoings inside.

* * *

The brunette impatiently tapped her fingers on the bed that she sat on. Fifteen minutes had passed but she was still alone in the dimly lit room. Disgruntled, she started undressing to take her mind off the long wait.

She shed off her leather coat to reveal the yellow sundress that came up to her knees. It was his favorite. She kicked off the black Christian Louboutin pumps from her feet and slowly rolled down the nude colored stockings from her feet one by one. The sundress was unzipped quite easily from the back and soon joined her stockings on the floor. She shivered as the cool air from the vent kissed her body clad only in her undergarments.

"Couldn't wait for the regular appointment to see me, Polka?" The brunette jumped as she heard the smooth baritone voice behind her.

"HOLY SHIT! YOU SCARED THE BEJEEBIES OUT OF ME!" She shrieked and covered herself up with the blanket on the bed. "And stop calling me that, you pervert!" She added with good measure.

"I'm sorry, it's Ichigo Kara today." He chuckled and received a smack on the shoulder in response.

"Stop looking at my underwear!" He raised his brow and put both his hands up at her protest.

"Hey, it's not like I haven't seen all of it before."

"Whatever, you mindless pervert."

"Shut up, take off your bra, and get on the bed." His voice gave off a "no-nonsense" vibe and she followed his instructions without a peep.

She laid face down on the bed, put her head on the pillow and waited. Five years ago, back when she was still a country bumpkin, she would not have she would not have been caught dead in this situation. Not that she would've preferred to be caught in it right now. She could just imagine the headlines if the paparazzi could see her now.

" **Japan's corporate world princess, Mikan Yukihira, found in (a scandalous place), doing (scandalous things)!"**

Five years ago, before she even became the country's corporate world princess, she was just a simple lass, living in the Kyoto countryside in peace with her adoptive grandfather. Everything had been so easy then. No one could care less that the temple guardian, Nonno Sakura, had a very beautiful yet clumsy granddaughter. Everybody in the small village in the countryside knew her and respected her for who she was, not for what she could afford and how much money she had in her pocket (not that there was that much in it to begin with).

She had a lot of friends, and she had him. He was her best friend. They were neighbors. His father and mother owned a plot of land where they planted vegetables and sold to the neighbors for friendly prices compared to the big market the next town over. People from the village would often comment on how they looked like the perfect couple but both would vehemently deny and insult each other to no end.

She smiled at the memory of how they would walk barefoot to their secret spot and waste hours just hanging out. It was a small freshwater pool, like a mini-lake in the middle of the forest. They would often go there during the weekends whenever he finished his chores for the farm and she finished her duties at the temple. They would swim, have a picnic, sometimes just lying together on the grass underneath the lone Sakura tree, their tree, and revel in the silence between the two of them. Ahh, Those were the days.

Her musings were interrupted when she felt his hot calloused hands on her bare back. She gasped as his fingers came into contact with the flesh on her shoulder blades.

"Well, this is an unexpected visit. To what do I owe this pleasure? You cost me a client you know." He said huskily.

"I'm paying double, so shut up." She hissed, he chuckled.

"Luna was so pissed, you should've seen her curse Anna to the depths of hell."

"Yeah well she can go shove that stick even further up her ass, the little bitch." Mikan rolled her eyes.

"My, my, my, what would your father say if he heard such language coming out of your mouth?" She shuddered as he whispered into her ear.

"He'd wash my mouth out with soap." She giggled.

She let out a small moan as he expertly moved his fingers across her back and her sides, stopping just short of the sides of her breasts. She waited for his touch, but he pulled his hands back and away from her body.

"You merciless tease!" She growled at him and pouted, receiving a smirk in response.

"You haven't answered my question." He said emotionlessly with a shrug.

"You know I won't let anyone else touch me." She gave a hum of approval as she felt his hands travel up and down her legs, kneading the flesh of her inner thigh.

"I know. Tell me something I don't know." Her breath caught in her throat as she felt him straddle her, her legs in between his knees.

She felt him push his weight forward and she let out an involuntary moan. The pleasure that his hands brought to her, making her forget that he had asked her a question. He seemed to content to give her peace for the moment, giving her what she wanted like he had for the past few years.

For the next few minutes, nothing else could be heard but the slick sound of skin slapping on skin, her soft moans of delight at the ministrations of his expertise, and his soft murmurs of concentration as he let his hands do their magic.

She was his everything. Even if he never told her. Even if he thought she didn't feel the same. When she suddenly left the village three years ago, he had gone into a state of panic. Her father had come back from whatever corner of Japan he was hiding in and claimed her as his heir. And just like that she was gone.

He followed her to the city. He worked hard and saved up his money. It wasn't easy but he made it in just under three months after she left. Getting to her was another matter. She was the daughter of the most influential man in Japan next to the Prime Minister. It was sheer luck that he bumped into her when she was trying to hide from her bodyguards. As his hands got the fill of her flesh, he reminisced that one fine day.

* * *

 _It's been three weeks since he arrived in the city, but he was nowhere close to finding Mikan. He knew he couldn't just come up to her address (which he didn't even have), in his ripped jeans and rugged sneakers. He'd found a job that could pay his rent and the tips would be enough for him to buy food and essentials. He was at the 7/11 at the corner of his apartment building's block when he saw a familiar looking figure walking past the window in a hurry._

 _He dropped his basket and rushed out the door to follow her. She was wearing a large overcoat and knee high boots. Her hair was inside a wide fedora hat and she had on aviator shades that covered half of her face. Even if she was all covered up, he would know her anywhere. As he got out of the store, he bumped into a couple of guys in suits who looked like they were looking for someone._

" _HEY! Watch where you're going buddy!" The guy shoved him aside and hurriedly began to move forward._

 _It didn't take a genius for him to figure out who they were following. He turned into a small alleyway and took a couple of rights until he estimated he could catch up with the disguised figure. It was only a few weeks but he was that good with directions, so in a span of five minutes, he waited and hit the jackpot. He saw her turn the corner and hurriedly pulled her into the alleyway, his hand clamped over her mouth and his other hand wrapped tightly around her waist._

 _She struggled against him, just like the good old days where they would play tag and tackle each other to the ground. And just like then, she had never been able to overpower him._

" _Polka." It took only that one word for her to stop struggling and she whipped her head around to look at him all wide eyed. She hugged him tight in the dark alleyway._

" _Natsume!" She had molded herself into his arms._

 _She'd missed him more than she dared to admit. She only realized her feelings for him when she left. There was an empty ache in her heart whenever she thought of him. She'd sent him letters but none had ever returned. Only when she sent out a letter to a distant cousin in the neighboring village that was she informed that he had left for the city. Lucky for her, his cousin Hotaru had his address and she immediately rushed to the general area to find him which landed her in this situation._

 _She'd come to see him once or twice a week without fail, and he had come close to confessing to her how he really felt. But when he saw their reflection in the mirror, he could see that they were worlds apart. He could never be with her. He didn't even know if she wanted him the same way he did her. So he kept his feelings to himself, not knowing she felt the exact same way._

 _And they continued to see each other for the next few years, clandestine meetings, short rendezvous, that led them up to this moment._

* * *

"Turn around." His words were a command and she followed it without fuss.

He laced her hands with his and she felt goosebumps up and down her arms. His touch would always drive her into a frenzy. It always made her want more. She would always come back, wanting more, but never asking for more than what he was willing to offer. She was afraid to push his buttons. Afraid that things were going to change for them. But this time, she held nothing back.

He could see the longing in her eyes. He trailed his fingers across her face. She lay there, almost bare underneath him without any trace of shame.

"You didn't answer the question." He prompted her again and she let out a sigh. She turned her head to the side dejectedly. She dreaded having to have this conversation.

"I'm leaving." She said in a small voice.

"But I'm not done yet." He said, puzzled.

"I meant, I'm leaving." She gave him a meaningful look, imploring him to understand.

"Oh. Where are you going?" He stopped his ministrations and looked at her blankly, her revelation shocking him.

"Abroad." She sat up and covered herself up with the blanket.

"Why?" He wanted to say "Don't." but he had no right to.

"Dad." He'd read about it. She was being engaged to a Middle Eastern Prince.

"This is it then?" She ignored him and answered back with a question.

"I'm going to Paris." She declared.

"What? I thought it was the Middle East."

"I'm not going to marry a stuffy old man to further my father's business!" She huffed indignantly.

"And you are telling me because...?" She answered his question with her own.

"Come with me to Paris?" She looked at him hopefully.

"Why?"

"Because I want you to."

"I'm not a piece of property you can buy and own Sakura." His usage of her old last name hurt her to the very core. He never uses that unless he is angry.

"I can take you as a friend."

"And make me a wanted criminal for the rest of my life? Your father will pin your disappearance on me, you know. He's not going to disgrace his empire and heir just like that."

"No. That's not what I meant. I want to be with you." She said exasperatedly.

"As a friend?" He wanted to know if he meant more than that to her.

"Why are you being so difficult?" She skirted around the subject as she had done so many times before. She wanted to tell him the truth but she just couldn't say the words. It was becoming a bad habit.

"Who said I want to go?" He sat on the bed and crossed his arms like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

"I know you." She put both her hands on his cheeks and made him face her.

"I can't leave. What about Mom and Aoi?" He'd brought his mother and sister to the city with him last year when his father died. They couldn't manage the farm by themselves so he'd sold it and they were now living in the city with him. If he left with her, they would be the first on her father's hit list.

"I'll make sure they are taken care of." She said with confidence. She knew she couldn't plan everything but she could do her damn hardest. They couldn't take his mother and sister with them, but she had enough to make sure they could stay hidden and still live comfortably.

"And then what?" The future was still uncertain. He wanted it to be sure. He wanted her to say she wanted him in his life not for the next few years, but till their last day on this earth and maybe even after that. Because if she said that, maybe just then, he could throw all caution to the wind and be with her.

"I don't know, okay? I haven't really thought his through. They dropped the bomb on me just a few days ago, I haven't slept at all thinking about it."

"Is that the only reason why you came here unannounced?" He said dejectedly. Her heart ached at the sight of him and she strengthened her resolve then and there. It was now or never.

"I –" She reached a hand out to him but he shushed her by placing his finger on her lips.

"Don't." He pressed his forehead against hers and they stayed that way, forehead to forehead, nose to nose, lips mere centimeters apart that they could feel each other's hot breaths as they stood there.

"Don't make it harder for the both of us, Polka." He said as he cradled her face in his hands. He was tempted to kiss her but he knew he couldn't.

"Kiss me." She voiced out his thoughts. They had always been in sync, even then, much more so now.

"You know I can't." He told her in a warning tone that had an underlying meaning.

"I can pay for extra service here, can't I?"

"You won't because I refuse. Stop making things so complicated Polka." He said, irritated.

"I'm not. You're the one who's making things complicated."

"Just marry the damn Middle Eastern Prince, will you?"

"Why should I marry a person I don't even love?"

"Because even if you're both not in love with each other, he can give you the life you deserve. I can't." He said sadly. She knew he would eventually say that.

She brushed off his hands and began to dress, the moment gone and quickly forgotten. She knew how stubborn he could be. He wanted something from her but when she was about to give it, he suddenly changes his mind. It was so typical of him to do that. She finished dressing and stood sadly next to the door.

"I'm going."

"Take care." He said sincerely.

She walked slowly up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a light peck on the lips. She wanted to do more, but she knew he would never allow it. He loved her too much to take anything from her. Even if she wanted him to take it.

"I'm going to miss you.." He said.

"I know."

And like when they were just teenagers, she left once more. But this time, he couldn't follow her anymore. She was the daughter and heir to Japan's richest billionaire, and he was a lowly masseuse. She was a princess and he was a pauper. And although their hearts beat as one, they were never meant for each other.

* * *

He wouldn't see her again until a few years later. She would return unannounced from her travels and adventures abroad. She had denied the engagement her father had set her up with a few years back and instead of disowning her or forcing her, her father had been supportive of her decision.

He had long since improved his way of life, and although nowhere near her social standing, he made a good name for himself. His mother had passed away and his sister had married a young man she met in college. He toiled, saved his money, went to college and graduated with honors while she was away and started a very profitable business. He became an eligible bachelor at 27, an elusive one, with a heart that all the fair maidens failed to capture.

Since he became a prominent member of the local society, he would throw balls for the benefit of charity. It was during one such summer occasion that he happened upon her. She had highlights in her hair and her skin was sun-kissed from her travels. She was dancing with the person she had arrived with whom he identified as one of his friends from college. He approached and lightly tapped his friend's shoulder.

"May I cut in?" He politely asked.

He took her hand in his and they began to glide gracefully across the dance floor. Just like before, people talked about how lovely a couple they made, as they twirled amongst the crowd.

"You have some nerve to cut in while I was having fun with my date." She pouted at him.

"You have some nerve to show up uninvited." He retorted and she blushed. "But then again, I seem to recall a fiery brunette who loved to shun the rules and get into trouble back in the day." She gave him her devilish smirk as he dipped her expertly, with his hand supporting the small of her back. He brought her back up and they stood still, face to face, drinking each other's presence in.

"You haven't changed at all…" She murmured as his hand travelled up from her calf up to the slit of her slinky black dress, resting on her thigh. "You're still a mindless pervert." She giggled, slapping his hand away.

"Did you come here just to tell me that? Tell me something I don't know, Mikan." He whispered in her ear huskily.

"I came because like what I said before, I won't let anyone else touch me. I'm always drawn to you like a moth to a flame." She said cryptically.

The beat of the music changed to a slow dance and he put his arms on her waist as she wrapped hers around his neck. She put her head on his shoulder and she sighed as she felt him tighten his embrace.

"No matter how breathtaking the places I went to, the people I met, the food I ate, it was never the same. I only thought of how better it would have been if I had you by my side." She murmured to him.

"It had to happen. Otherwise, I wouldn't be who I am right now, and you wouldn't be free." He said logically.

"You've changed yet you're still the same." Her eyes twinkled with mirth and amusement.

"I could say the same for you, princess." There was no spite in his words this time, only endearment.

"I missed you." This time, it was her turn to say it.

"I know." And he captured her lips with his as he was a pauper no more.

 **THE END**

* * *

 **So I'm rating this an M because, it has some mature themes. Although it's of sensual and not of sexual nature… and in case you didn't get it, Mikan goes to see Natsume since he works at a massage parlor. ;)**

 **I sorta got this idea one day when I was getting a massage hahaha.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please do standby for the update on Delicious Taboo (which is ending soon)**

 **A two part update of "The Scam" is also in the works along with the next chapters for Secrets and Karaoke Nights.**

 **The Guy Next Door has just been updated. For those who haven't seen the update yet ;)**

 **Read, Follow, Favorite and Leave a Review!**

 **Ja Ne!**

 **xoxo Lexi1989**


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